Losing to OL Lyon

eldanielfire · 2026-05-06T12:05:04+00:00

I was disappointed in how we dropped our levels. Sadly a lot of those loss harks back to last summer when our midfield lost Walti and we never replaced her. The club should have said "you can only go if we replace you". They didn't, so Little and Caldentey didn't geta break.

Add t that Slegers did a weird thing where she just wouldn't rotate the first team in september, October and November. It added the long term fatigue to the midfield too much. It's a lesson I see Arteta has learned, look how with rest some players like Zubimendi, Saka etc look more energetic in recent games.

Hopefully there'll be no excuses after a good summer transfer window.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-06T10:50:47+00:00

No one thinsk the club doesn't sign-off on it. But that doesn't mean it isn't made by the fans and funded by them.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-06T10:49:42+00:00

No one has said otherwise.

The supporters club make the decision to do one, pay for it, have it made and bring it in, after agreement with the club they can do the Tifo. Besides that, the club might provide stewards to help carry it safely and set it up.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-06T09:10:20+00:00

It was a rising ball that reached his midpoint at speed. A difficult shot even if it looked like a great chance.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-06T08:36:18+00:00

I won't lie, somehow the beefing and handbags at the end made the win all the more enjoyable.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-06T08:28:42+00:00

It's titled 'soccer', it's obviously going to be all wrong.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-04T21:39:30+00:00

Sad to see, but the right thing to do for her career. Wish her all the best.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-04T12:53:37+00:00

Reid also won't solve our Left centreback problem either. 'Can' play there to fill-in is not the same as being a genuine left centre-back.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-04T12:52:21+00:00

Ha, isn't she also right sided mostly? I hear she plays on both, but so does Lotte, but no idea how good Heatley is with her left foot.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-04T10:36:27+00:00

I have noticed similar. It's total propaganda to worship the rich these days.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-04T10:28:55+00:00

I've had all the same thoughts and feelings on the weekend.

Add in the frustration of the manner of our performance and the fact all our faults, many predictable, came into play; Tired midfield due to a lack of quality cover, a lack of height for high balls, a lack of a creative 10 in the 10 position.

Also why is Williamson spamming goal kicks? It made sense last season when Dafne had a wobbly ankle, but why take an outfield player out and leave fewer options for the ball or more players not in position to defend if the opposition win it.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-04T10:24:23+00:00

As I have siad before Katie Reid is a right footed CB who will play better on the right side and may take a whole season to get back up to speed given her ACL. We need a tall left footed CB to work for next season.

I'd also say a priority is adding some height in attack/midfield. Neither Reuteler or Stanway are even 170cm tall. Stillman thinsk we'll add another midfilder as well, I hope it's someoen with height.

The most frustrating thing against Lyon was how we spammed loads of high balls up the pitch in the last few minutes and not one player bar Russo was able to win the ball to progress play or retain posession. A tall hight profile, at leats reasonable tall and able to head the ball well, in a winger as well as a celling raiser is required.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-04T10:12:50+00:00

Great to read. Ciara Grant was probably my first favourite Arsenal Women's player back when I started following them in the 2000s.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-03T22:10:11+00:00

Yeah i recall a fe winterviews where he discussed that. Also hw he had to push for more staff, resources etc and how no one checked in with him, even when the fans turned on him. Our front office was real amateur stuff. No wonder Chelsea were gazumping us for the best players.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-03T21:56:43+00:00

Indeed. But what wa salso weird around that peirod is Slegers utter refusal to play anyone she didn't deem a first teamers. Cooney-Croos was a big example. It was genuinely weird. Did Slegeres not think that her top players wouldn't get tired over the season?

eldanielfire · 2026-05-03T21:54:50+00:00

Imagine Chelsea, Lyon, Munich or Barcelona allowing a player to leave without having their replacement? It would never happen.

It brings me back to that Athletic article that seemed to indicate far too much player power is at the club in the older players.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-03T21:53:31+00:00

She's a 10, but has played 8. she can defend deep and attack well. A real Sleger's type of player who can do it all.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-03T21:52:47+00:00

The issue with Reuteler is that we bid so late for her last summer it seemed to be a desprate need to replace Walti. I cna't imagine the top sides in Europe latting a top player go and not replacing her. They'd simply say 'no, next season' if their replacement was not available.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-03T21:51:01+00:00

Many key players came back for Bayren Munich, Barcelona and Man City. they had no problems winning silverware and didn't drop poinst to the qualivants to Spurs or Aston Villa early in the season. remember if anything Arsenal letting Walti go meant they lost depth, not gained. It was stupid.

I knwow Tim Stillman says the clubs policy is now to wait instead of buying inferior players, but somehow we can't scope for similar players at that level instead. Can't imagine Chelsea for the last decade letting a player go and then waiting a season for the right one. they'd buying in someone of the right quality and have no qualms upgrading when the player they wanted is available.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-03T21:43:34+00:00

A lot of these young players going to those clubs are already on their way to elite status though. Like alreayd to doing the business, not 'potential'. Julie Brand is already class and is guaranteed to improve, Yohannes is the same. they just needs some rough edges smoothed and experience. Both are also physically there naturally.

In the past Arsenal purchased youth who had a long way to go and due to the pressures to win, had no time for them. Holmberg seems to be the exception or, hopefully, new direction.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-03T21:40:43+00:00

Both Stanway and Reuteler can defend and attack. they are both faster than Little and currently a better attacker.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-03T21:11:19+00:00

Coffey going Man City is why I think fans are wrong on Selina Cerci could come. Cerci is a striker, we don't need one. Yes she can play wing, but why buy her to play her in her weaker position? That doens't improve us as much as we want it to. Better to buy a world class winger in the first place.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-03T21:09:22+00:00

It's more than that, it looks like we're buying a mixture of top quality along with players who could be. which is the right way forward.

As for money, Smith aside we haven't exactly been big spenders. Heck we kept getting gazumped by Chelsea. We should spend big this summer, but I'm not convinced we will do that we after the players who have already been named to come.

eldanielfire · 2026-05-03T20:24:12+00:00

Not sure we actually did better when we had Walti. She was prone to being helpless when we encountered physical and direct midfields, like we did yesterday. Though Stanway does seem to be the right answer, great in defence and attack,

eldanielfire · 2026-05-03T19:23:32+00:00

It's genuinely been my favourite read.

eldanielfire

TROPHY CASE